Barricade Solutions and Secondary Locking Devices
There are many solutions being offered to schools and other public facilities that simply do not work, or – much worse – make buildings more dangerous for the occupants. For example, there are multiple versions of a device that will wedge or barricade a door from the inside.
These secondary locking devices are marketed as a security add-on to traditional doors. In reality, they are making things much more dangerous by providing a false sense of security, reducing the perceived need for actual solutions, enabling hostage situations, preventing first-responder access, and likely violating fire and safety codes.
Schools come under immense pressure from school boards, parents, students, and community members to respond in some way. Timeliness in these situations can feel imperative, but it is important to remember the more critical mission of a school: to keep children and staff safe and secure.
Reactionary, emotional decision to quickly implement solutions which violate codes while failing to investigate multiple options may quickly placate individuals, but it won’t help you with the extremely important goals of safety and security.